I Scream, You Scream!

by Scott Pearson

If you would have asked me 7 years ago if I would be taking pictures and talking about how much I love the Willrow Hood action figure, I would have said you were a few beers short of a 6-pack. The history of how Willrow came to be made is a fairly long and complicated tale that has been summarized in our forums. The long and winding road led to the moment a package arrived on my doorstep last week with a 3-3/4 scale Ice Cream Maker Guy figure complete with miniature Ice Cream Maker.

The figure itself is fantastic. Sporting multiple points of articulation and a spot on likeness Hasbro brought their 'A' Game on this one. ICMG has a ball jointed head, shoulders, elbows and knees, with articulated wrists and ankles. Willrow easily cradles the Ice Cream Maker in his left arm. The Maker itself is highly detailed and sports the Rebel symbol on the bottom side. I think the greatest thing about the figure is the portly belly that ole Willrow is sporting. Obviously, the man has been sampling his wares a little too much! He also comes packed with a blaster, which is an easy way to keep his recipes safe from the stray Sith Lord or Bounty Hunter! The figure should start showing up in stores in late November or early December, which is just in time for all your holiday shopping needs!

I know this figure does not and will not appeal to all people. To me though, this is a culmination of many years of camaraderie in the hobby, as such I want to thank the following people:

Matt Colman who tirelessly bugged Hasbro reps at various conventions around the country

Jeff Smentek for also bugging Hasbro for many years at various shows and for keeping JD alive through hard work and maximum effort

Chris Berry for hiring me at JediDefender many years ago and allowing me to have a mouthpiece for just as long

Paul Mundheim for getting this early sample and being an all around great guy

Jesse McCracken, Brad Smith, Ryan Phipps, Dale Justus, Rob Foster and Jesse Wall for all the support through the years

It is not often that dreams come true and I am still in disbelief that this has happened. Star Wars has been a part of my life since I was 3 years old. Getting this action figure made has been a crown jewel of the years of fandom. A simple man who wanted to protect the recipe for BespinBerry Blast Ice Cream spawned an internet frenzy that is timeless. Ole Willrow has a MySpace page, a Facebook fansite, an official backstory on StarWars.com, and finally an action figure. Long live Willrow Hood, the Ice Cream Maker Guy! And now, who thinks we need a Willrow Hood Galactic Hero??